Counter terror police have undergone specialist training to prepare them to take out lorry drivers who are using their vehicles as weapons, it has been revealed.–

Armed officers have also been issued with high powered ammunition capable of penetrating armoured glass in a bid to ensure they can respond to the changing tactics of Isil inspired terrorists.

The new training and equipment has been rolled out in a response to the terrorist outrages in Nice and Berlin, where Islamists used articulated lorries to drive into crowds causing mass loss of life and casualties.

The Nice attacker killed 84 people and injured hundreds before being shot dead – Reuters

In order to combat the increasing terrorist threat, the number of armed police across Britain is expected to rise to more than 10,000 by next year.–

Simon Chesterman, who is the National Police Chief’s Council lead on armed policing said following the recent vehicle attacks, training had been changed and officers were now told to shoot the driver in the cab where necessary.

Terrorists used a truck in an attack on a Christmas market in Berlin Credit: Reuters

Mr Chesterman said: “As often happens the terrorists keep adapting their tactics. We have seen some horrible and different tactics lately using vehicles and lorries.–

“It used to be that within our policy we used to talk about not shooting a moving vehicle, that was because of the danger we might cause if we fired at a driver then clearly we might cause a real problem with the vehicle.

“But if the vehicle is being used as a weapon in the first place there aren’t many tactics available in relation to stopping it, especially if it is a very large lorry.

“So driving a vehicle in front of it for example is not going to stop it so you need to shoot the driver.”

Isil inspired terrorists have been using lorries as weapons Credit: AFP

Albert Jack is an English writer and historian who became something of a publishing phenomenon in 2004 when his first book Red Herrings and White Elephants, which explored the origins of well-known phrases in the English language, became a huge international bestseller.
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